Submitted by Unholy-paper t3_10l150c in LifeProTips
Not guaranteed to work for all insurance companies but worth the shot. The apps usually track how fast you accelerate and brake(do not slam on your brakes or come to a hard stop). Stay off of your phone you can do it for a month or two at least. If you know you are going to be in traffic I’d turn it off and only use it/let it track during non busy times. Game the system for those juicy discounts.
Unethical? We act/Behave differently when someone else is watching I’d call this natural.
Yep I said it doesn’t work for all insurance companies it has for mine I’ve had the discount for 4 years now. I could argue you could turn it on once or twice a week to keep the discount. A lot of them have were you can mark that you are a passenger so they can’t always be tracking anyway.
Some of the tech on my car malfunctions. If I am driving east in the morning, the sun casts shadows that makes my car think it's following too close to another vehicle, and will beep and flash a red light on my dash.
The app also doesn't take into account the context of my driving manuever. I had to brake fast because someone pulled out, not because I'm an agressive driver. I had to drift in my lane to give a bicycle room as I passed them, not because I'm inebriated or distracted.
Technology can be dumb, y'all.
> I had to brake fast because someone pulled out, not because I'm an agressive driver.
If you were a good driver you'd anticipate it and not have to brake hard. If it happens often to you it means that you are not paying enough attention to your surroundings
> I had to drift in my lane to give a bicycle room as I passed them, not because I'm inebriated or distracted.
If you were good driver, you'd switch lanes when passing a bike at safe and comfortable distance instead of just drifting a little bit. If you happen to be in this situation a lot, you should rethink how you overtake other road users.
Sometimes it's not technology that is dumb. Sometimes (and I dare to say, a lot of times) drivers just have terrible habits and they don't recognize their own mistakes behind the wheel.
Ok....drivers are unpredictable. You can't always anticipate them. In Florida, I deal with old people doped up on opiod painkillers, methheads, and assorted other crazies on the road.
As far as your second point....can't switch lanes if its a 2-lane undivided roadway. I live in a small town with few multilane roads.
I know I have my faults behind the wheel. I'm impatient, especially dealing with all elderly drivers driving 10 mph below the speed limit for no good reason, tourists who have no idea where they're going, etc. It gets frustrating many times. I've witnessed many unsafe maneuvers from drivers trying to move at a decent pace. I'm guilty of doing it too. I'm trying to get somewhere....I don't have the leisure of some retiree who has no place to be and drive like it's Sunday every day.
> I'm guilty of doing it too
Well then, the technology is then correct to flag you for higher insurance. Good thing is that you are aware of it and could maybe work on it. You know you are doing dangerous things behind the wheel but you don't care about fixing them since you see no value in that. Your time is more valuable than well being of other people. Maybe a thought of keeping insurance money in your pocket would be enough to convince you to be more careful while driving?
It's not a comment about your specific driving, but to people in general. I'm sure a lot of people would think twice about their driving habits if it meant saving money.
How come this does not apply to people on bikes they should be able to predict a car can go faster and drive on the same surface the bike is on why doesn't the bike move over and maintain a clear motor vehicle lane and not cause a safety issue by going slower then the published speed limit without proper hazard lights. In of it self is a fine and a ticket in most states.
In Florida, bicycles have every right to be on the road, by law.
Yeah they also need to obey traffic laws such as stoping at stop signs and red lights yielding at yield signs and doing the speed limit or have the appropriate hazards to display they cant go the speed limit. Frankly i think they should have a licence and insurance as well as all states require any road vehicles to have them.
I agree. There is respect missing on both sides, from cars and bicyclists.
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Do NOT use these devices. I had one from Progressive thinking they would save me a few bucks. It gave me headaches because I had to call them on the rate increase I noticed on my bill. They said I had three hard brakes in a month which made me a “higher risk” driver. I knew exactly what events (the device also beeps at you when event occurs) which weren’t my fault. Other driver turning into my lane, two pedestrians hopping into the road (scammers) No ifs ands or buts, if that fucker beeps telling you you braked too hard; tough shit.
arlondiluthel t1_j5tx4tk wrote
Unethical
I know that mine at least has a requirement that if you use it, you continue to use it, and they can revert the discount if you stop using it